


Battle of the Concept Art

by Anonymous



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Ad Designer Yachi, Friendship, Gen, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Set during the timeskip, Ushijima is a nice guy, Yachi is a good teacher, aka mlm wlw solidarity this is not a shipping fic, art lessons, mutual respect, unlikely friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:41:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22749499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Ushijima Wakatoshi reads all of the advertisements in magazines, where he becomes a big fan of Hitoka Yachi's designs. Knowing that she is a friend of his teammate on the Schweiden Adlers, Kageyama Tobio, he hopes to approach her to ask for an autograph. Thinking that Ushijima is trying to kill her because Karasuno beat Shiratorizawa in high school, Yachi interprets all of Ushijima's actions as an existential threat and faints immediately upon meeting him. However, after this misunderstanding, an unlikely, deep friendship blossoms as Ushijima asks her to teach him how to draw. A wholesome friendship fanfiction set in-universe where Ushijima begins to learn about the meaning of friendship, and Yachi learns that first impressions are not what they seem.
Relationships: Ushijima Wakatoshi & Yachi Hitoka
Comments: 35
Kudos: 128
Collections: Anonymous





	Battle of the Concept Art

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be my first multi-chapter fanfic in a really long time so please be gentle ahaha. This is based off a shitpost I made on Twitter that got a lot of interaction, so a month later I figured I'd finally start writing! (https://twitter.com/kurapikasdad/status/1216655829069221888)
> 
> I hope that you enjoy reading this, and sorry for the length of the first chapter! I promise later installations will be way shorter... basically I chugged down caffeine and just wrote whatever was on my mind. I have a weakness for Schweiden Adlers headcanons, especially Kageyama/Ushijima interactions so it got kind of long. I also miss Kiyoko/Asahi/Sugawara/and Daichi talking to each other so it REALLY SHOWS. Ushijima and Yachi are some of my favorite characters and I feel like they would be friends (after their first meeting of course, since Yachi would be terrified. You know how she sees Yahaba as this hyper-masculine monster? Well Ushijima would look like an Eldritch horror in comparison.)
> 
> Thanks to everyone on Twitter who encouraged me to turn this shitpost idea into an actual fanfic! Special thanks to my friends Sara and Jun for looking over the first draft a long time ago. I hope I'll be able to update weekly if anyone is interested in how this unfolds.

The Schweiden Adlers had just finished their regularly scheduled practice to prepare for tomorrow’s V.League 1 tournament match against the Nagoya Tridents. The players started packing up their bags and heading to the locker rooms to freshen up, and Kageyama tossed the last ball into the basket.

“If you push yourselves so hard you’ll end up getting injured one day!” Coach Suzaku snapped, rolling a cart of all the equipment into the storage room . “Save that energy for the game we have tomorrow. Even though it’s on your own turf at Sendai, you don’t want to be over-confident, right Kageyama?”

“Understood,” Kageyama said.

As Kageyama walked into the locker room, he passed by his teammates who were animatedly talking about some TV show. “Hey Kageyama, get plenty of sleep! We wanna see those killer serves tomorrow,” their libero, Heiwajima said, thumping Kageyama’s back with vigor. “Don’t let us down!”

“Y-Yes,” Kageyama said, giving an awkward nod as his teammates left together, talking about where to eat next.

Kageyama spotted the odd one out in the locker room: Ushijima Wakatoshi, his opposite hitter. Though time had passed since high school, Ushiwaka stayed constant-- he was still an intimidating on-court presence, a reliable ace that made the most out of Kageyama’s tosses, and a man of few words. Despite Ushijima’s inability to socialize with his teammates, he played his role on the Schweiden Adlers exceptionally, rarely being the subject of any complaints.

Ushijima was sitting on the bench, intensely focused on something he was reading. His posture on the bench was impeccable and his eyes trained on every word in front of him. A man of few words and interests outside of volleyball, it was hard to break the ice with him unless it came to discussing game strategy-- which wasn’t too different from Kageyama’s socializing habits.

Compared to the rest of their teammates, Kageyama was considered the closest to Ushijima, which was not saying much.

Kageyama opened his locker and wiped his face with a towel. He glanced at what Ushijima had on his lap, the latest issue of Shonen Jump which Tendou Satori would religiously mail him to force him to read it. Tendou Satori was Ushijima’s only other known friend and would occasionally come to their games to cheer exuberantly, which Kageyama was shocked to find Ushijima didn’t mind at all. Wondering what kind of manga Ushijima would be interested in, Kageyama curiously looked over his shoulder. 

Much to his surprise, Ushijima was intently reading… a lotion advertisement?

The advertisement featured a fully exposed woman’s back front and center with white lotion painting their back like an angel’s wings. Kageyama noted that the pattern reminded him of Hoshiumi Kourai’s hair, but thought it might be rude to say out loud. Ushijima seemed to be tracing something with his finger. _Is he some kind of weird pervert?_ Kageyama wondered, grimacing until he realized that Ushijima was simply pointing at the fine print.

“Ushijima-san…” Kageyama said in a low voice, trying to keep disbelief out of his voice. “Are you reading the advertisements?”

Ushijima looked up from the magazine. “Yes,” he answered plainly. “The font is very light so I keep losing my place.”

“I see,” Kageyama said, squinting at the text. Kanji?

“Can you read it, Kageyama?” Ushijima said, bringing the magazine closer to his face.

 _I can’t let Ushiwaka know that I’m stupid!_ Kageyama thought to himself. _But I can’t let him think that I have poor vision!_

“Ah,” Ushijima said finally. “It says ‘spread evenly for silky, smooth, and free skin.’”

Kageyama breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought that most people skipped ads,” he shrugged. “Do you really read them?”

“Indeed. I enjoy reading them in their entirety.”

Even for his own relatively low social standards, Kageyama found Ushijima a strange person. He couldn’t help but find it funny watching someone as serious as Ushijima dutifully read every word of an ad. Ushijima’s eyes flickered across the page. “Ah,” the large man said quietly, reaching for something in his pocket.

Much to Kageyama’s surprise, Ushijima pulled out a pair of purple left-handed scissors from his bag and began to cut into the magazine. “Ushijima-san?” Kageyama blurted out, “What are you doing?”

“I am fond of this advertisement,” Ushijima said simply. “I enjoy the imagery of the wings. And the color of the background. It reminds me of Shiratorizawa purple.”

Ushijima cut out the page. Kageyama admired his handiwork- the lines were perfectly straight. Was there anything that Ushijima Wakatoshi could not do well? During his time setting for Ushijima, Kageyama asked himself this question many times. “Ushijima-san, is there anything you wish you were better at? Outside of volleyball,” he added.

“Drawing,” Ushijima answered immediately, to Kageyama’s surprise. “I have always had an interest in drawing. I used to draw often as a child.”

Kageyama could not picture Ushijima as the creative type. Was there some hidden stroke of imagination behind Ushijima’s stoic expression? “What did you draw back then?” Kageyama asked.

“Volleyballs,” Ushijima answered.

Kageyama suppressed a groan. Just like his actions on the court, Ushijima’s responses were predictable. 

Ushijima continued, “Though, I’ve always wanted to learn how to draw birds.”

“You know, I heard Coach Suzaku talking to the managers about redesigning the Adler’s mascot. Apparently the eagle looks ‘too angry’ and scares away the children. Maybe you can draw something for them,” Kageyama teased, “Though don’t use your face for reference.”

Wait, was that too far? Kageyama’s eyes twitched. He was so used to joking around with his spikers back at Karasuno that he hadn’t fully adjusted to Ushijima’s completely deadpan personality. 

“Nonsense,” Ushijima said. “I lack such proficiency.”

Out of nowhere, Ushijima pulled out a thick binder full of pages occupied by… more advertisements with a sticker on the front of it that aptly said, “Advertisement Collection. Ushijima Wakatoshi. 2012-Present.” He flipped to an empty pocket and slipped the advertisement into it.

“What is it that you like about advertisements anyways? Does it help you scope out potential sponsors?” Kageyama wondered if there was something he was missing as a volleyball player that Ushijima was aware of.

“Advertisements reflect what the mass population wants. Though they are by nature deceptive, I believe there is some truth to be found in seeing what appeals to the public,” Ushijima said. “They are quite artistic as well. There is great skill that goes into manipulating colors and images. My grandfather had a hobby of collecting advertisements, over time they increase in worth and become ‘vintage.’ Though that is not my primary motivation.”

Kageyama waited for Ushijima to continue, but he did not. Even for his own social standards, Kageyama found Ushijima a strange person. “What is your motivation?” Kageyama asked finally.

“I genuinely feel joy when I read a good advertisement. It is like collecting art, except easier and less expensive. Advertisements are an ever-present art form. When I went to Tokyo for Nationals, it was quite a sight. The edited photography, cartoons, and words that come together to form a concise message with a purpose- it is quite nice, Kageyama Tobio.”

“You can just call me ‘Kageyama’ now that we are teammates. Surely that wasn’t your motivation for going to Nationals,” Kageyama said sarcastically.

“Of course not,” Ushijima responded tritely, much to Kageyama’s annoyance. “Kageyama, I welcome you to look through my collection.”

Kageyama thumbed through the advertisements absentmindedly. He couldn’t turn down the chance to glimpse into the mind of his enigmatic spiker. Ushijima had collected a variety of ads- beauty products, sports equipment, and even kitchen appliances. However, he started noticing a familiar faded logo at the corner. Yachi Creative. How come that name sounded so familiar to him?

It dawned on Kageyama when he saw a crude picture that had been printed out and placed into one of the sleeves. His heart jolted when he recognized it was the Karasuno fundraising poster, with Hinata front and center. He remembered how that toss to Hinata felt, with Yachi taking a picture in the old Karasuno gym. “Yachi,” Kageyama said. “Yachi!” 

Ushijima’s ears perked up unsuspectingly. “You know Hitoka Yachi-sensei?” Ushijima raised his eyebrows.

Hitoka Yachi-sensei? Kageyama almost burst out laughing. “Sensei? Yachi-san was the manager of the Karasuno Volleyball Team. She was a classmate of mine, a first year when we played Shiratorizawa. She’s a college student but I think last we talked, she was interning at her mother’s design firm.”

Ushijima’s interest seemed to be peaked. “Ah. I am a fan of her works. I am not surprised to hear she worked on the Karasuno poster. I jogged by it during one of my workouts in high school. I saved a picture on my phone and printed it out. I enjoyed it.”

“I was surprised to see Hinata in your scrapbook,” Kageyama mused, and it was Ushijima’s turn to wear a face of displeasure.

“It is not because of Hinata Shoyo that I saved the picture,” Ushijima shot back, somewhat defensively. “I had no interest in Hinata Shoyo. I merely enjoyed the flying imagery and message. I see Yachi-sensei’s artistry has been long in the works.”

“Well…” Kageyama said, “If I recall, Yachi’s fundraising posters brought in more donations than any of the third years had ever seen. How did you find her name? Normally uh… people aren’t fans of advertisements.”

Ushijima nodded. “That is true. Well, I was rather impressed by the Potari Sweat advertisement that was done by Yachi Creative and decided to call the firm directly to send my compliments to the artist. It was a colored sketch done by hand-- I was amazed by the detail and emotion that it captured. I was put in touch with the founder, who said it was the work of her daughter, Hitoka Yachi-sensei. She said that her daughter might be intimidated by my voice, but she would pass along the compliment. She also mentioned that many of the sports advertisements are done by her daughter.”

Kageyama wanted to roll his eyes. Ushijima really was a man who put in effort off the court. “How did you even get their number?”

“I own a copy of the most recent Miyagi Prefecture Yellow Pages Directory book. I have read it in all its entirety myself.”

“Of course,” Kageyama muttered under his breath. “Of course you have. Anyways Ushijima-san, you are in luck. My old colleagues from Karasuno High School will be attending tomorrow’s game and I’ll be meeting up with them. You may be able to meet Hitoka Yachi in person.”

Ushijima raised his eyebrows. “Is that so? Perhaps I can ask her for feedback on the Adlers’ mascot. I suppose it would be nice to ask her for an autograph, as I am a ‘fanatic’ of Yachi-sensei’s advertisements.”

“There are some things you might have to know about approaching Yachi-san. Let’s just say she gets easily intimidated by uh…” Kageyama sized up his teammate. Broad shoulders, unfriendly expression, thick brows, large arms, and masculine-- if there was a checklist for features that would most certainly scare Yachi off, Ushijima met all of them.

“I will be on my best manners and behavior.”  
\---

The Sendai Gymnasium was filled with groups of on-lookers of all ages. Fans were holding ornate banners and carrying around volleyballs in hopes of getting them signed at the fan meetup. Banners with the words “World’s Best Striker: Wakatoshi Ushijima” and “#1 Server Tobio Kageyama” surrounded the venue, and the smell of grilled konyaku skewers filled the air.

Spreading his arms, Sugawara Koushi took a deep breath, taking in the atmosphere. “Really brings you back, eh Daichi?”

Daichi Sawamura grinned, pointing at one of the Kageyama banners. “Can you believe that only a few years ago, we came here to watch the King of the Court play in middle school? And now… he’s got fans of his own! A team! Isn’t that great Suga?”

Sugawara began to tear up. “Kageyama has come so far,” he said, pumping his fist. “But don’t forget who he learned it from! I’ve been a fan of Kageyama before all those kids! Taught him everything he knows.” He jerked his hand at the group of children wearing Kageyama jerseys and pointed at himself. “Me, Sugawara Koushi, the original Kageyama fan!”

Approaching the dynamic duo, Azumane Asahi put a hand behind his head nervously. “I thought I heard your voice Suga, I was going to call you but I figured that I’d be able to hear you anywhere… n-not like that’s a bad thing either!”

Sugawara’s ears perked up and Daichi gave a friendly wave. “Asahi!” Sugawara cried out, beaming as he saw his friend. “Your hair, it’s getting so long!”

Immediately, Sugawara ran up and began ruffling Asahi’s hair, much to the latter’s displeasure. Daichi laughed nervously and put a hand on Sugawara’s shoulders. “Now, now Suga that’s enough. It’s good to see you again Asahi,” Daichi said warmly. “What a day it is, to come together and support our underclassman! Let’s meet up with Kageyama afterward to thank him for the tickets.”

Sugawara sniffed appreciatively. “Watching Kageyama grow has been the greatest reward! I’m so happy he still remembers us. I hope he remembers his senpai…”

“Don’t start crying before the game starts, Sugawara,” a familiar voice called out to them. The boys looked up excitedly to see Kiyoko Shimizu waving, with Hitoka Yachi in tow. 

“Shimizu! Yacchan!” they said in unison. “I’m glad you made it!”

Kiyoko had a radiant smile and was elegantly dressed in business casual attire. “Had a meeting to go to right before this, so I hope that I don’t look too out of place,” Kiyoko said pulling out some bentos from her backpack. “We brought some extras for all of you in case you had nothing to eat.”

“Shimizu,” the third years’ eyes began to tear up. “You’re so kind.”

Yachi had no idea why all the third years were crying, but seeing them cry made her tear up as well. She had not seen her friends for a long time, as she worked long hours interning at Yachi Creative. In fact, Yachi had forgotten how tall her friends were, as they towered over her. She felt like a small crow, jumping around in her Karasuno jacket to get a better glimpse of everyone’s faces. “I-it’s,” Yachi choked out nervously. “SO GOOD TO SEE EVERYONE AGAIN! YOU ARE ALL SO TALL NOW! H-has it always been this way? I’m sorry if I forgot! Oh no…”

“Your ponytail looks very cute Yacchan!” Asahi said encouragingly. “I’m glad you liked the hairband I designed for you.”

“T-thank you,” Yachi said, starting to ease up. “I-I love the s-stars on them.”

Daichi smiled proudly. “We have a star on the stage today, and two stars of design standing next to us! Yachi-san, we hung up your last three years of Karasuno posters in our breakroom. The other officers love them! They said it inspired them to play volleyball. I offered to teach them!”

Yachi froze up, nodding happily. “T-that’s g-good to hear… I hope they don’t get hurt. V-volleyball is a dangerous game!” she said. 

“That it is,” Asahi agreed, his own anxiety brewing. “I can’t imagine blocking any of those spikers in Division 1. I don’t think I could ever use my hands again!” 

As they entered the stadium, the bumble of conversation and cheering filled the large room. Kiyoko steered Yachi and Asahi into their box seats next to her while Daichi and Sugawara sat in front of them. “Oh!” Yachi said, remembering something in her backpack.

She pulled out a rolled up banner. “I printed this at work for Kageyama. So we can do our best to support him!” she said, passing it to Daichi.

Daichi unravelled the banner and gasped. It was a banner in Schweiden Adlers colors and a handwritten sentence that said, “Make the ball fly off your fingertips Kageyama!” There was a crow in a yin-yang formation with the Schweiden Adler’s eagle off to the side, that Yachi had painted herself. He draped it over their box and Asahi gave a thumbs up. “It’s beautiful Yacchan!” 

“Thank you!” Yachi shouted, bowing furiously. “I sent a picture to Hinata and he suggested I make the banner ‘You’re invincible when we are here’ but I knew Kageyama would be too embarrassed to read it! Also it seems like… like it’s personal between them!” 

A loud horn was heard throughout the arena and the noise died down, signalling the start of the game. A voice on the overhead speaker welcomed everyone to the Sendai Gymnasium, to the final match of the Summer Tournament, the Nagoya Tridents versus the Schweiden Adlers. 

The teams and mascots came onto the court and the audience began to yell out their favorite players’ names. Kageyama, holding a small volleyball was twirling it in his palm trailing behind the Adlers’ team captain, Fukuro Hirugami. Towering behind Kageyama, Ushijima walked out of the shadows, his face unreadable as he stared forward at the court. “There he is, Ushiwaka,” Daichi whispered.

Seeing the formidable ace from afar, Yachi’s stomach dropped. Ushijima Wakatoshi had only become more fearsome over time, his expression even less friendly than it was during his third year. She gripped the sides of her seat anxiously, recalling his ruthless spiking power and how it injured Tsukishima’s hand. Her hands began to tremble as she imagined being forced to fight him to protect her friends in a Roman Colosseum for survival. _I’d never win,_ she thought to herself with fear, _he’d rip me apart with just his left hand!_

Upon seeing Kageyama, Sugawara stood on his seat and began screaming at the top of his lungs. “KAGEYAMAAAA!” Sugawara yelled in a way that would have rivaled Hinata. “GO GET ‘EM KAGEYAMAAA!” Kageyama looked around, unable to find his colleagues and began to wave awkwardly to no one. Ushijima’s eye’s flickered to where he heard the noise and pulled on Kageyama’s sleeve so he could spot his friends. From the court, Ushijima Wakatoshi’s eyes caught a glimpse of Kageyama’s banner. He was squinting to get a better look at the handiwork, thinking it himself that it was the best designed banner he had seen all season. He made a note to give compliments to the holder, if he had a chance.

“Now that’s one scary team. Hirugami, Kageyama, Ushiwaka, Hoshiumi,” Daichi rubbed his hands. 

The Adlers’ mascot, Adloo, walked out to the center, doing a fearsome dance. “Even the mascot is scary,” shuddered Asahi, pointing at the hyper-realistic Schweiden Adlers eagle, who had a snake wrapped around its talons. “Kageyama asked me for suggestions on a new mascot design, but I can’t say branding is my specialty. Yacchan, that’s more up your alley is it? Yacchan?”

Unfortunately, Yachi caught Ushijima’s gaze in a state of hyper-awareness. “I-Is U-Ushiwaka-san… is he looking at us?” Yachi pulled on Kiyoko’s sleeve, frozen in fear. His expression was focused, like a bird of prey looking at the next unfortunate creature that it would catch on its talons. From this distance, Ushijima’s squint looked like a calculated glare of loathing, amplified in Yachi’s mind as an intent to kill.

Yachi could not ever bear to say his name, in fear of summoning him. “T-the absolute ch-champion,” Yachi stammered. “Do you think he remembers us from… the game? What if… he still has a grudge against us? T-that I was th-the one that brought Tsukishima b-back into the game? That we took away his chance at Nationals during his last year? WHAT IF HE SPIKES A BALL OUR WAY?”

Ushijima was admiring the handiwork of the banner and had not even looked at the people standing behind it, who were too far away to make out anyways. He was too engrossed in admiration to notice the cowering person two seats behind it, who was crying about the ways that he was planning on murdering them all. The calligraphy was quite neat… neater than his tutor’s was back when he was young. He pulled on Kageyama’s jersey and grunted, jolting his head toward that direction so that his teammate could see the touching tribute. “Huh?” Kageyama said.

Kiyoko put a hand on her friend comfortingly. “Hitoka-chan, I’m sure that Ushiwaka has played so many games that he doesn’t remember a loss he’s had in high school I barely remember what happened that game myself!” 

The players began to toss their signed balls into the audience. Ushijima scanned the crowd for any fan sign or banner that he felt “deserved” the attention. Locking onto the Kageyama banner, he decided to send his regards with a powerful serve.

_BAM!_

A noise comparable to a cannon echoed through the stadium. “Now that’s a serve that was TOO good for a game that hasn’t started yet!” the announcer said into the mic, “Hope there’s a libero in the audience! I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that!”

Ushijima’s teammates let out a chuckle. “Leave it to the rookie to give it his all for a signed ball toss,” Heiwajima said, much to Ushijima’s displeasure.

The ball hurtled toward the Karasuno alumni at an impressive speed, and Yachi let out a high-pitched scream, bracing for impact. It’s like the asteroid that ended the dinosaurs! she thought to herself, her life flashing before her eyes.

Before the ball could reach Yachi, Kiyoko sprung into action, catching the ball. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had to catch a wayward serve,” she said cheerfully. “Ah, I missed those times, didn’t you Hitoka-chan? Hitoka-chan?”

Yachi stared at the Schweiden Adlers, paralyzed with fear. Ushijima stared back at the Kageyama banner, his expression grave as he was trying to see who caught the ball. Her biggest fear was confirmed. Ushiwaka’s grudge against Karasuno was still alive and well-- and possibly an existential threat.


End file.
